UConn in 'incredibly important' game vs. Pitt

By Neill Ostrout, STAFF WRITER

Published 11:19 pm, Tuesday, January 12, 2010

STORRS -- Like 10 of the last 11 meetings between UConn and Pittsburgh, both teams enter tonight's game ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation. Unlike many of those matchups in recent years, the Huskies head into the game needing a victory rather badly.

"It's not a critical game for us," said UConn coach Jim Calhoun, downplaying the importance only slightly. "It's an incredibly important game for us, as every single game is."

UConn lost both of its games with the Panthers last season. But unlike those games last year, when UConn was ranked No. 1 and its postseason destiny had already been somewhat mapped out, this year's Huskies aren't exactly sure where they're headed.

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The 15th-ranked Huskies (11-4, 2-2 Big East) are coming off a painful loss to Georgetown, one in which it blew a 19-point lead. And although three of its four losses this season have come by three points or less, the Huskies have yet to defeat a ranked team.

"I think for us it's a must win," UConn guard Kemba Walker said. "We need it. I think we need a win right now."

No. 16 Pittsburgh has won six straight, including its first three Big East games of the season.

"We have some good players back. They have some good players back," Calhoun said. "But they've been able to avoid a couple of the losses that we haven't been able to avoid."

Pittsburgh, which welcomed back guard Jermaine Dixon (injury) and forward Gilbert Brown (academics) recently after playing much of its non-conference schedule short-handed, is more mature at this point in the season, according to Calhoun.

Maturity is something a few of UConn's players are still lacking, it seems. Walker, who has 22 assists and 18 turnovers through four Big East games this season, admits he has work to do with his decision-making especially on his drives to the basket.

"I'm still learning that actually," Walker said. "Sometimes I go a little too deep. I have to do a better job at pulling up for jump shots instead of going so deep."

A senior who has been one of the Huskies' top players in each of his four years at UConn, Dyson has missed the last three games against the Panthers because of either injury or suspension.

"This time last year I was looking forward to the Pitt game and then I got hurt," said Dyson, who scored 11 points against Pitt as a freshman, his only previous game against the Panthers. "It'll be nice to get out there and play them one more time. And we definitely need the win."

Neither team is likely to pull away in the game. Each of the last 10 UConn-Pitt games has been decided by 10 points or less.

And the way UConn's half-court offense has performed lately, it's unlikely to breakout against a stout Pitt defense.

"They always play tough defense and try to get up into you, deny the ball. We're just going to have to do a good job of running our offense," Dyson said. "That's what we've been doing all day in practice today (Tuesday), just working on executing our offense and staying with it."

Two factors that may play to UConn's advantage today: the Panthers have been off for nine days, and the Huskies are a perfect 10-0 at home this season.